But still, Shinomiya Kaguya truly hoped the rescue team would arrive soon.
She knew Yukima Azuma had to return quickly.
There were still people worrying about him.
Besides, he was usually busy, often having to request leaves of absence.
His time shouldn't be wasted on this deserted island.
"Well, tomorrow's worries can wait until tomorrow. For now, let's grill some fish."
Yukima Azuma said, picking up the nameless fish Shinomiya Kaguya had brought back.
The leftover coconut shells from earlier could now be repurposed as makeshift cooking pots.
Activating his special vision, Yukima Azuma skillfully prepared the ingredients.
Before long, the aroma of grilled fish filled the cave.
Shinomiya Kaguya sat by the fire, resting her chin on her hands, absentmindedly gazing at Yukima Azuma
As if she wanted to etch this moment into her memory forever.
. .
Meanwhile, on the other side, Shijo Makiwho had just been sulking with her face against the wall
Was also drawn back by the enticing smell.
But the moment she laid eyes on Yukima Azuma, she felt like she had suffered another wave of social death.
Avoiding eye contact, Shijo Maki didn't dare look directly at him.
(,,><,,)
To be honest, since they had no seasonings
Even with his level-eight cooking skills, Yukima Azuma could only make the fish barely okay to eat.
It was still far from truly delicious.
Yet, the two girls ate heartily.
It somehow tasted even better than the lavish feasts at their homes.
Maybe it was because of the situationor maybe because of the person who cooked it.
After dinner
At first, the three of them planned to go for a stroll.
But as the sky darkened
On this desolate island, where there was no trace of artificial light, nightfall meant absolute darknessyou couldn't even see your own fingers in front of you.
So, they gave up on the idea.
Lying down on a bed of dry leaves
The three of them chatted about this and that.
At some point, their conversation slowly faded
And silence settled in.
(* *) z Z
...
The next morning.
Gentle morning sunlight filtered into the cave,
Bringing with it a soft warmth.
Yukima Azuma drowsily opened his eyes.
The first thing he feltwas heaviness.
He looked down.
And found
Two Bishoujo-shaped body pillows had suddenly appeared on top of him.
This time, it wasn't just Shijo Maki
Even Shinomiya Kaguya had joined in.
One on each side, the two girls were sleeping soundly, their heads resting against Yukima Azuma's chest, like little kittens.
() ( _ ) ()
Yukima Azuma turned his head slightly, checking their positions
A question mark popped up in his mind.
Just how had these two managed to sleep in such a way
That they ended up rolling onto him like this?
Thinking back to those two unreliable twin deities...
Yukima Azuma suspected this was yet another trick of theirs.
But whatever.
Things had already ended up this way anyway.
Yukima Azuma lay back down and closed his eyes.
Who knew how much time had passed
When Shinomiya Kaguya and Shijo Maki gradually woke up.
The two of them lifted their heads, and then
Their eyes met across Yukima Azuma's body.
(*^^)(^^*)
Chapter 252: Rescue, Returning
"The sky really has cleared up."
( )
Shinomiya Kaguya gazed at the bright blue sky and sighed in admiration.
Just last night, the clouds were still thick and heavy, seemingly unwilling to disperse.
Earlier, Yukima Azuma had mentioned that the sky showed signs of clearing up.
It had sounded like nothing more than an optimistic reassurance.
But now
The clouds had truly been swept away.
Perhaps the rescue team would be arriving soon.
"Let's go to the beach and light a signal fire."
Shijo Maki suggested.
Now that the sky was completely clear, it meant the rescue helicopter had definitely taken off.
Aerial visibility couldn't be compared to searching from the sea.
As long as they sent up smoke, their chances of being found would increase significantly.
Yukima Azuma looked at the two girls.
(_")
He had no intention of bringing up what had happened that morningwhen they had used him as a pillow.
If he hadn't woken up before them even once
He might have been fooled into thinking they had both slept obediently through the night.
When Yukima Azuma woke up again in the morning
The two girls were already sitting properly to the side.
They put on an expression that said, "Time flows quietly, the scenery is picturesque, we have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
( ) ~~~
It made Yukima Azuma chuckle.
...
The three of them replenished their water by cracking open a few coconuts.
Then, they gathered some branches and leaves from the forest and headed toward the beach.
Now that the sky had cleared, the scenery on the beach had transformed as well.
Looking out toward the horizon, they could see a magnificent sight where the sea and sky merged into one.
If not for the desolate conditions of the deserted island, it would have been almost indistinguishable from a Hawaiian resort beach.
They piled up the leaves together.
The flames ignited, and thick smoke began to rise.
Perhaps because the rain had stopped.
Today, there was hardly any wind, and even the sea remained calm.
As a result, the rising smoke wasn't carried away by any wind currents but simply drifted straight upward.
The three of them tilted their heads back, watching the curling smoke, each lost in their own thoughts.
But that moment of contemplation didn't last long.
About fifteen minutes after the smoke signal was sent up, they spotted a black dot appearing in the distant sky.
Then, the black dot quickly grew larger.
The whirring sound of helicopter blades echoed from afar.
"That fast!?" Shinomiya Kaguya exclaimed in surprise.
Even though she had seen that the sky had completely cleared,
Even though she had known that Yukima Azuma's prediction about today's rescue being highly likely was turning out to be true,
She hadn't expected such a quick response right after lighting the signal fire.
The helicopter swiftly approached the deserted island and hovered steadily above it.
Landing was impossible.
The terrain here had no suitable conditions for a helicopter to touch down.
A rope ladder was lowered from the helicopter.
One by one, they climbed up.
Marking the end of this unexpected castaway experience.
Yukima Azuma was the last to ascend.
As soon as he stepped into the cabin, he saw that aside from Shinomiya Kaguya and Shijo Maki, who had climbed up just before him,
There was only one other persona woman dressed in rescue gear.
"Welcome back, Yukima 'Robinson' Azuma-kun. How are you feeling now?"
( -)-
Yukinoshita Haruno teased, a playful smirk on her lips.
Though her words carried a hint of mockery,
No matter how one looked at it, her smile unmistakably held the relief of having a weight lifted off her shoulders.
Yukima Azuma's gaze unconsciously lingered on Haruno's eyes.
This wicked womanshe always carried an air of elegance and beauty.
Yet at this moment, the dark circles under her eyes were so heavy that they couldn't be hidden.
The whites of her eyes were laced with frightening red veins.
No matter how lightheartedly she tried to tease with her words,
The words "worried to exhaustion" were practically engraved on Haruno's face.
Noticing Yukima Azuma staring at her, Haruno realized something.
She reached up and touched the area around her eyes.
Even without a mirror, she knew she must look far from presentable right now.
If she had known earlier, she would have brought some makeup alongat least to cover it up a little.
Yukima Azuma withdrew his gaze.
Even though he lowered his eyes to the floor, he had already etched this image of Haruno into his heart.
Perhaps it was the lingering daze after being rescued.
Yukima Azuma remained silent for the entire journey.
Shinomiya Kaguya and Shijo Maki were also quiet.
No one spoke the whole way.
The helicopter flew swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, the vast ocean below transformed into a modern cityscape.
It landed on a designated helipad.
Even before the dust kicked up by the rotor blades had settled,
A group of people rushed over.
"Kaguya-sama!"
()
Hayasaka Ai's voice rarely carried such urgency.
Only after seeing her Oujou-sama safe and sound did she let out a small sigh of relief.
Her gaze moved from her Oujou-sama to Yukima Azuma.
Only after confirming that both of them were unharmed did the usually composed maid finally feel at ease.
Shijo Maki's mother was also present.
The moment she saw her, Shijo Maki immediately leaped from the helicopter and ran over.
Soon after, the sound of muffled sobs could be heard.
Aside from their family members,
As Yukima Azuma stepped out of the helicopter, he immediately saw that all of his girls were here as well.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, Eriri, Kato Megumi, Sora Ginko, Hinatsuru Ai, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Kirisu Mafuyu.
Of course, Suou Yuki, who was already in Hawaii, was present too.
All the girls who shared a close bond with Yukima Azuma.
Only Gotoh Hitori and Kurokawa Akane were absent.
But the two of them had no connections with the others besides Yukima Azuma himself.
Not much time had passed since the incident.
Perhaps they simply hadn't heard the news yet.
"Azuma!"
"Shishou!"
( )
The first to lose control of their emotions were Eriri and Hinatsuru Ai.
One older, one youngerboth girls rushed forward, throwing their arms around Yukima Azuma.
Eriri wrapped her arms around his neck, while the petite Hinatsuru Ai clung tightly to his waist.
As if afraid that he would disappear at any moment.
They held him tightly.
Soft sobs reached his ears.
Yukima Azuma raised his hand, gently patting their backs in comfort.
Even though they were the first to break down,
The other girls weren't much better.
Kato Megumi's eyes were visibly red.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's body was even trembling slightly.
"Alright, you're finally safe. That's all that matters. As long as you're okay, that's all that matters."
Kirisu Mafuyu pushed everyone toward Yukima Azuma and joined in the embrace.
She spoke words of reassurance,
But it was unclear whether she was comforting the girls or herself.
Their emotions were in turmoil.
At that moment, Yukinoshita Haruno, the last to step down from the helicopter, clapped her hands lightly.
"Anyway, let's get him a full-body checkup first."
Hearing that, everyone's emotions gradually settled.
Surrounded by the crowd, Yukima Azuma didn't even get a chance to explain.
Just like that, he was "packaged up" and sent straight to the nearest hospital.
...
After spending a hefty sum in US dollars
Yukima Azuma received a medical report confirming that he was in perfect health.
During his days on the deserted island, he had always ensured that his food was thoroughly cooked before eating.
As for drinking water, he hadn't touched a single drop of dirty water. He hadn't even drunk any boiled wateronly coconut water.
He hadn't sustained any external injuries either.
So, naturally, there was nothing wrong with him.
The girls held Yukima Azuma's medical report, flipping through it carefully.
Only after confirming that there was truly nothing to worry about did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Anyway, let's just head back to the hotel and rest for now. Compared to me, you all are the ones who need it more right now."
Yukima Azuma looked at the girls and said.
Their condition wasn't as severe as Haruno's
But it was clear that they, too, hadn't been resting properly due to worry.
However, after returning to the hotel
Led by Eriri, some of the girls stubbornly refused to go back to their rooms to rest.
As if they feared that if they fell asleep, Yukima Azuma would disappear.
Fortunately, the living room was spacious enough.
So, they simply brought out blankets and pillows, deciding to rest together in the living room with Yukima Azuma.
Once they had finally let go of their worries
A few of the girls fell asleep almost the moment their heads touched the pillows.
Their exhaustion had already reached its limit.
But there were also those who, despite their fatigue, couldn't fall asleep right away.
"Lonely-kun."
"I'm here."
"I'm really scared..."
"I know. This won't ever happen again."
Yukima Azuma reached out and gently stroked Kasumigaoka Utaha's hair.
With her personality
No matter how worried she was, she found it difficult to put it into words.
Most of the time, she expressed her emotions through actions.
For her to voice her fear so directly
It was enough to show just how tense she had been.
When she first heard that Yukima Azuma had been in an accident and was missing
Kasumigaoka Utaha had felt as though she couldn't breathe.
A suffocating pressure, coupled with a dizzying sensation.
Fear had completely engulfed her heart.
She couldn't even imagine
How she would go on living if she lost Yukima Azuma once again.
"Still awake?"
Yukima Azuma noticed that Yukinoshita Yukino was still lying there
Staring blankly at him.
He reached out his other hand, gently holding hers.
"I don't want to go to Hokkaido anymore."
Yukino murmured.
Previously, Yukima Azuma had made plans with her
That once Laplace Corporation got past this busy period, they would go to Hokkaido together to see the snow.
But now, Yukino no longer wanted to go to Hokkaido.
She just wanted to stay home with Yukima Azuma.
She didn't want to go anywhere.
"This was just an unexpected accident. Nothing like this will ever happen again."
Yukima Azuma said softly.
In his heart, he silently added another debt to Star and Lumine.
"I only need you. Everything else doesn't matter."
As she spoke, Yukino's voice choked up
And silent tears began rolling down her cheeks.
Chapter 253: Christmas at Yukimas Home
Chapter 253: Christmas at Yukima's Home
After learning that Yukima Azuma had been in an accident and gone missing
Yukino realized that all her previous hesitations were completely insignificant.
